


It's Only Platonic!

by melatonin927



Category: Persona 5
Genre: College AU, Fluff, M/M, domestic shuake, he's oblivious, in a world where things went much nicer, love and support gamer goro, quarantine au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-29
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:21:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24987475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/melatonin927/pseuds/melatonin927
Summary: I started writing this at the beginning of the quarantine, after seeing that joke about "the next round of ao3 fics being about quarantine." It's been sitting in my WIPs for long enough, thought it was time to finally post. Have something positive in these trying times.
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren, Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist
Comments: 9
Kudos: 145





	It's Only Platonic!

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this at the beginning of the quarantine, after seeing that joke about "the next round of ao3 fics being about quarantine." It's been sitting in my WIPs for long enough, thought it was time to finally post. Have something positive in these trying times.

Online chess was different. There was something engaging about competing with Ren face to face that got lost in the virtual adaptation. Goro couldn't see his mannerisms or analyze his facial expressions. He couldn't watch Ren gingerly grab hold of a piece he intended on moving only to five seconds later draw his hand back in reconsideration. And of course, he couldn't see the slight pout he would make when he ultimately lost.

There were benefits too, though. Goro didn't have to hide his own expressions—a hand to his chin and a mischievous grin as he watched the screen in anticipation, waiting for Ren to fall into the trap he had set. And they could still talk. He could still hear the occasional, stoic "your move" from the voice chat. It didn't quite live up to the real thing, but what else is one to do with a city on lockdown?

It had been several weeks of isolation: an attempt to slow or null the spread of the virus. The panic was starting to settle, businesses were slowly reopening, but there was still a curfew hanging over the city.

Goro didn't really mind being holed up in his apartment; he actually wished he took time to himself more often. School and work had both shifted entirely online and the usual, pestering news outlets were focused on covering the pandemic over anything he was doing, so it was quiet. He'd order food in the afternoon, sit at his desk for a fixed amount of time for any assignments, then spend the rest of the day at his leisure—keeping some semblance of a schedule was important. The free window left him to explore some different pastimes he might not have attempted otherwise, especially after a certain friend continued hounding his cellphone out of boredom.

Ren and Goro had been friends for several years, not always living in the same area until now, but managing a reasonable level of contact. It was the type of friendship where it didn't feel as if time had passed between meetings. When they were able to, they'd grab coffee, play chess, or walk around to various shops. Other times, they'd just text. The occasional, lengthy, late-night phone call, normal things for friends—not that Goro had many others for reference.

Due to the situation and Ren's increasing need to socialize, he offered the idea of online games to Goro a couple weeks back. Goro didn't expect it to take, but he was enthralled by the complexity of the games and the ease at which they could play together. There were an increasing number of virtualized board games he'd never taken the time to explore. Puzzle games, wartime games, card games; he was open to most.

They tried a multiplayer shooter once—that didn't go over so well. Goro found the objective to capture the enemy territory rather straightforward. He began to organize the players over the mic, explaining the optimal strategy for progression only to be berated (see: cussed out) by a stranger on their team. This had Ren and Ryuji wailing. It goes without saying he only participates in that kind of gameplay by specific request. He much prefers games based in strategy, or, at least, ones where he can compete by himself. He questions the purpose of a team game with a player base that doesn't want to work together.

Chess finally ends like it usually does, with Goro holding back laughter at winning yet again.

"Why don't you give up?" Goro asks over the voice chat. Ren insists on holding up their coffee bet—loser buys—despite being on a permanent loss streak.

"Because the day that you finally have to buy me coffee will be incredibly satisfying."

Goro smiles to himself. "Well, I look forward to my infinite string of lattes. I'm off to bed."

"Goodnight."

After signing off the computer, Goro follows another routine reserved for nighttime. He brushes his teeth, washes his face, and turns off all the lights except the lamp by his bed so he can read before attempting sleep.

He's on a particularly slow-moving chapter in his mystery novel that allows his mind to wander, so when there's a sudden set of clanks on metal outside his two windows, he notices. He chooses to ignore it, dismissing it as wind or a noisy neighbor and tries to refocus on the text. To his dismay, the noise continues and gets _louder_ until it sounds like it's right outside.

_Someone on the fire escape?_ It wouldn't be the first time he's been pursued due to his status, but this seemed extreme. He swiftly closes his book and reaches for a hair dryer on his dresser, heart starting to race. He doesn't know how effective that is, but it's the heaviest thing within arm's reach and he clutches it stiffly.

There's a knock on his window. _What the hell, what the hell._

On the window furthest from the rap, he holds his breath as he slowly lifts the edge of one of the blinds and peeks through. The jacket looks familiar. He lifts another higher up and sees a familiar, bespectacled face waiting on his knees at the window. He relaxes, still confused, putting his weapon aside. He yanks open the blinds on the other window. Ren waves at him like this isn't bizarre. Goro undoes the window locks to open it.

"How, what… W-We only finished playing thirty minutes ago, how did you get here so fast?" Goro inquires, exasperated.

Ren sits on the sill, ignoring his question, and tosses his shoes into the room before rolling onto the bed. A pleasant scent, unfamiliar to the apartment, drifts across the space. _Is that cologne? A particularly pungent deodorant?_

"I brought you a present." Ren reaches into an inside jacket pocket and produces a package of fruity candies Goro had been complaining about craving a few days ago. The stores nearby that sold it were closed.

He accepts the gift, touched that he made the effort to get them considering it was an offhand comment. His annoyance at the intrusion mellows some.

"Thank you. What are you doing here?" Goro asks softer.

"Sleepover," he replies matter-of-factly, "I was getting so bored being at home."

"It is rather monotonous." He says it on instinct because what is he even supposed to say in this situation? He was three seconds from having a heart attack thinking someone was breaking into his apartment, only for his friend to casually flounce on the bed, announcing he's staying the night.

"I was about to go to sleep."

"Yeah, it's late," Ren responds.

Goro has never had a sleepover with anyone. He closes the window. Sharing his bed with someone? How do you even go about this? Ren isn't moving. This is what is expected then…

He gets under the covers and lies stiffly on his back. "Can you turn off the light?"

"Yeah."

The room flips to dark. Ren fiddles with a phone charger cord and throws his jacket onto the ground. He joins him under the blanket, his arms resting behind his head.

Goro tries to close his eyes but has a difficult time relaxing. His eyes scan the walls of his room as if that would offer any relief. There's nothing to focus on but the sound of the occasional vehicle and the looming presence of a person right next to him. This is deeply uncomfortable.

"Your apartment smells like takeout."

"Does it."

_Hah, what an impression. Is Ren okay with this? Nothing about unprecedented visiting seems off to him. He wasn't even invited; should I kick him out?_

Ren shifts under the blanket and makes a sound, reaching for the book that had gone unnoticed beneath him. "Oh, were you reading?" He inspects it in the dark, not that he can see the cover all that well.

"Reading before bed helps me sleep."

"Insomnia?"

"I've never had it diagnosed, but I suppose it's possible."

This is a moment where Goro wishes he could be asleep instantly. It was one thing to be alone with his thoughts, but now he can't even focus on them. He's toying with his fingers under the blanket to subvert the awkwardness.

Ren places the novel on the ground and turns toward him on the mattress.

"Sorry for interrupting that. You can keep reading."

"It's fine."

"I could rub your back, if you want. Might help you sleep."

One peculiar circumstance after another, phrased so innocently.

"…Sure." _Why did I agree to that?_

"Roll on your side."

Despite the constant bombardment of questions hitting his head, he does as instructed. If Ren is treating this like it's normal, then it must be. There's nothing wrong about it, this is a completely typical and friendly interaction for— _ngh!_ A shiver that he tries to stifle shoots up his spine as a hand gently touches his back. Oh, he hopes Ren didn't notice that.

If he did, he doesn't say anything, continuing to draw circles with his fingers. He starts near the shoulders and gradually drops his hand lower with each motion. He hits the waistband of the pants and does the movements in the reverse direction.

"Is that okay?"

"Mmhm." It did feel nice, but even if his muscles were being wrung like a wet rag, he probably wouldn't have said anything.

Goro isn't sure if anyone has done this for him before. As Ren's hand continuously travels along his back, adept at making sure not a single inch goes untouched for too long, Goro's body releases some of the tension it's been holding. He finds himself relaxing into the sensation.

Ren keeps it up until he's sure he hears a steady stream of breaths from the other. He retracts his arm to let it rest, burning from being suspended in the air for so long. Worth it though. He closes his eyes to follow suit.

* * *

Waking up to the sight of someone in his bed is strange, considering Goro has never allowed anyone else to so much as glance at it. Business, personal or otherwise, is always conducted outside of the apartment, and the angled entryway into the space doesn't permit visitors to see inside the studio. He blinks at Ren, who is lounging against the wall with his phone in hand.

"You're awake."

"Yes." His meticulously scheduled set of Saturday alarms hasn't gone off yet, so it must be earlier than noon.

"I've been waiting to ask if I can use your toothpaste."

Goro groans a little and props himself up on one arm. He's rubbing one of his eyes when he says, "Umm, yeah but I don't have a spare toothbrush."

Ren tries to hold back a laugh, but the snicker is still audible. "That's okay, I brought my own." He swings his feet off the bed and goes to the bathroom.

The comment makes him pause his motion. _He brought one with him? He was oh so sure I was going to let him stay that he brought a toothbrush? Well that's… I guess that's just being prepared._ He goes to run a hand through his hair and stops dead in his movement for the second time, pure terror dawning on him. Goro realizes immediately why Ren was trying not to laugh and it's because his beautifully layered hair is a disaster when he first wakes up. Before brushing it out and straightening the ends that get flipped up in the night, he is a malicious paparazzi's most sought out photo.

He vehemently tries to comb through and flatten the hair with his hands to little avail. Goro decides it is situations like these that strengthen his stance on why no one should ever spend the night.

When Ren exits the bathroom door, Goro is on his way through it. Ren flashes a peppermint smile at him, which he rolls his eyes at, then shuts the door firmly behind him.

Ren folds his arms and leans on the wall outside the door. "You know, personally, I think this is a good look for you."

He's plugging the straightener into the wall. "Sorry, I can't hear you over the fan." The fan is not on.

Ren presses his lips together in amusement. "What do you want to do for food?"

"Order something."

He begins to ask _what_ when the actual sound of the fan starts buzzing in the bathroom, which makes him smirk. Ren pulls out his phone instead to shuffle through available delivery restaurants. He lazily crosses the room while browsing, hooks his knees around an armrest, and falls back onto the loveseat. There are a surprising number of options, far more than what's available near his house.

The vibe Ren is feeling is savory and Goro didn't give an opinion so he can't object. He starts putting a cart together with sushi, then second guesses himself and clears it in favor of beef bento boxes. The address gets plugged in and the order submitted as a burst of sweet-smelling hair products permeates the air. Goro emerges from the bathroom, the scent a lovely contrast to the annoyed expression on his face.

It takes a second for him to notice that Ren is making himself at home on another piece of his furniture. "Well?"

"Food is on its way," Ren assures.

"What did you decide?"

"You'll see when it gets here."

Goro folds his arms. Now that he's had a moment to wake up, he's able to process again the fact that Ren is here for an unspecified amount of time. It would probably be rude to ask when he is leaving. It's not that Goro necessarily wants to get rid of him, it's more that he has no idea how long he can entertain someone when he hasn't prepared for it. The apartment was crafted and maintained for the service of one.

"Tell me, what do people usually do after staying the night?"

Ren scoots into a sitting position so he can hang an arm over the back of the sofa to look at him. "Have you never had a sleepover?"

"You'd be the first," Goro deadpans.

He smiles smugly in return. "I'm honored." If he has no experience with this, then there are no preconceptions.

"Well, it's not so different from hanging out normally," Ren says, "You know, we just chill. Watch TV, play games, eat food, talk, don't talk. All in the comfort of your home."

_That_ is the part that leaves a bad taste in his mouth. _Explain to me what about this situation is "comfortable."_ This Saturday was supposed to be spent like all the others the past few weeks: on his own agenda.

"Do you wanna watch something?" Ren nods to the television behind him.

"I suppose."

Ren scoots over to make room and Goro joins him on the couch, instantly crossing his legs and leaning on his fist. They have a small discussion about what to watch because their taste in media doesn't quite line up. Ren ends up relenting, but only on the compromise that they watch something neither of them have seen before.

They pick out a show that's sort of offbeat for both of them: a documentary detailing the build up to the collapse of a well-known crime ring a century back. _Here goes an hour of my life I can't get back._ The screen is flipping between photographs and an interview with a former member's relative. They're introducing the breadth of the group's influence.

Twenty minutes in, there's a knock at the door. Ren moves to get up and Goro flashes an arm in front of him like a driver in a car, desperate to stop something or someone in the passenger seat from flying forward when they brake too hard. "I'll get it."

Goro can already foresee the potential of a rumor sprouting up. The delivery person observes someone other than Goro answer the door, dressed informally and so early in the day. They casually mention the gossip to a coworker who mentions it to a friend who posts it online, where it gains enough traction for the press to put out another boorish article about a personal life that doesn't concern them. The situation is conveniently avoided by Goro receiving the food instead, smiling through a "thank you," and closing the door to spread out the contents on the counter.

In the meantime, Ren puts the show on pause. He approaches only after the front door is shut.

"This is a good restaurant, not a bad choice," Goro says, handing one of the boxes to the other. He opens the fridge and leans over to inspect the contents. "I mostly drink water at home, but I think I have some juice if you want that." No response.

"Ren?" Goro looks up and Ren immediately flashes his eyes back from somewhere else to meet the gaze.

"Water is good."

Goro narrows his eyes then reaches for the water filter. He fills two glasses and they return to the couch with their meals.

The longer the documentary goes on, the more Goro is reluctant to admit how invested he is in it. The story is taking strange turns that have him wondering how the group lasted this long in the first place. He's not sure what Ren thinks of it, but then again, when can he ever discern a concrete emotion from that unassuming demeanor?

At some point, Goro is feeling around with the chopsticks for another bite and realizes he's already eaten it all. He sets the container to the side and stands up to grab something. Ren begins reaching for the remote to pause the TV and Goro swats at the air in a way that is supposed to mean "don't."

He quickly grabs the bag of candies off the vanity and resumes his position on the couch. He takes a handful and passes them to Ren, who also takes a few. They're better than he remembered. Goro would eat the whole bag if he didn't have company.

When the show comes to a close, Goro is happy for having entertained it. He didn't spend a lot of time watching television, so the whole ordeal was a nice change of pace. He isn't about to go spurting all of that information though.

"What did you think?" Goro asks.

"It was cool. Imagine being part of a group like that."

"Right." _Nonsense._ "Well I have an assignment due tonight that's going to take some time." He's hoping Ren catches on, so he doesn't have to be direct.

"Yeah, go ahead," he says nonchalantly.

Goro is fighting the urge to let his face scrunch up in perturbation. "What, are you just going to sit here?"

The other looks up from his phone and shrugs. "Yeah, I'll wait till you're done."

His mouth hangs open as he tries to form a response and finally manages an unconfident sounding, "Okay." Goro shakes his head as he stands up, unsure if Ren is bad at picking up hints or if he wasn't being clear enough. _Fine, if he wants to sit there and do nothing, who am I to stop him?_

Goro seats himself at the desk and turns on his computer. The paper due tonight for his criminology class wouldn't take more than a couple hours to finalize. The research had been gathered, sources were in the proper format, and an outline of how it would combine, already completed. All that was left was to piece it together.

While the documents and bookmarks are busy loading across the monitors, he hears the TV being switched to some popular comedy show. The volume is turned down low. At a glance, Ren is spread out along the couch again scrolling on his phone. The show is more background noise than anything.

The time passes rather quickly once Goro is able to pull his mind away from the presence of his visitor. When he gets focused it becomes difficult to distract him, and Ren is being respectfully quiet.

Once the paper is complete, he whispers the proofread to himself a couple times before hitting submit. He leans back in the chair, crossing his arms and legs in triumph.

Ren glances up. He's twirling a piece of hair between his fingers. "All done?"

"Yes." Goro is made aware again that he isn't finished entertaining.

"Cool, I wanna show you a game," Ren says, standing up quickly. He picks up a chair from the small bistro table and brings it over to the desk to sit. "They're doing a free weekend." He takes the mouse and navigates to an online store to start the game download.

"What is it?"

Ren's face lights up. "It's a roguelike, deck-builder. As you defeat enemies you collect more cards and you have to craft a good rotation to win. If you lose all your health, you have to start over from nothing."

"Hm, sounds challenging." In addition to strategy games, Goro enjoyed ones with high stakes.

When the download is finished, Ren continues with the mouse to show him the ropes. The game is single player, so he does a playthrough while accepting Goro's questions and comments along the way. It's easy enough to follow, the only big learning curve being familiarity with the variety of cards and the combos they could make.

Ren eventually loses to a mini boss in an unfortunate sequence of events and passes the mouse for Goro to try. The game didn't allow them to compete against each other directly, but that wouldn't stop Goro from creating ways. Building a deck more efficiently, finishing in a quicker amount of time, or simply advancing further than him were all good measurements of his skill in comparison. He had a pretty good idea of how it worked after watching once.

They come across a simple enemy that Goro takes too long to contemplate.

"If you pick that card you can kill him in one shot." Ren points to the screen.

"But if I do this combo," Goro starts clicking cards into play, reshuffling and drawing from the deck, "I manage three times the damage."

"That's just making it more complicated."

"Better to condition yourself to think more strategically, no? The shortcut won't always be available."

"Whatever, you're the one with the mouse." Ren leans on the desk, watching the monster fall and the screen advance to the next round.

Goro smirks. _This is why you always lose to me._

They take turns attempting the game, Ren losing to the final boss on his next turn and Goro beating that same boss on his second go. He's trying to keep a blank face, but can't help smiling at how he both quickly picked up the game and managed to beat Ren.

"Yeah, yeah hotshot." Ren says, faking an annoyed expression before smiling again. "I showed it to you because I knew you'd be good at it."

Goro turns in the chair to face him and sneer, "Sounds like an excuse from a sore loser."

Ren leans forward as well. "Well, at least I can rest easy knowing you'll never live down that moment in the shooter lobby."

He pretends to be dramatically offended, lifting a hand to his chest. "Yes, my pride will never recover from some insolent dweeb on the internet."

"And yet, you've never wanted to play online again."

Goro was so wrapped up in the euphoria of winning and gloating, he only now notices the short distance between their faces, how one of his knees is in between the space of Ren's. They are staring right at each other. Maybe it only lasts for a mere second, maybe his breath hitches, maybe his chest is doing some weird, internal gymnastics he can't explain, but it's interrupted by Ren quickly saying, "I'm hungry" and immediately standing up. His leg brushes against Goro's knee as he heads off to the kitchen area and Goro remembers to breathe.

He hears the other rummaging through the cabinets while he places a hand on his neck. _What was that?_

"Hey, you have pancake mix," Ren calls out, "Let's make some."

"Oh… no. We can just order something else." Goro is a grade A, world-renowned, horrible cook. He knows two things: remove meal from the package and put it in the microwave. It was understood that he didn't _like_ to cook, not that he was _bad_ at it. He'd rather not have a repeat of this morning, with embarrassing things about him coming to light.

"Why not? Do you have the rest of the ingredients?"

"I do, but I got them a couple weeks ago. They're probably not even good anymore."

To his dismay, Ren opens the fridge to check the expiration dates, which he already knew would be perfectly far away from whatever today was. "No, they're still good," Ren announces.

Goro is scrambling for reasons to get out of this. Fake an allergy? Ren has seen him consume enough food that he can't suddenly start spurting a reaction to eggs, milk, or flour. _Uhm, shit._

"I'm not really feeling sweets right now."

Even he can hear how unconvincing he sounds. Ren raises an eyebrow at him.

"When have you once turned down sugar?"

_Fuck, fuck, fuck._ "…Diet?"

"Would you get over here?" Ren dismisses him.

They pull out everything they need: ingredients, cooking spray, mixing bowl, whisk, spatula, pan. Ren hands him the box to get started while he's heating up the stovetop. _Okay, the instructions are on the back. This can't be that hard._

He goes to pour the milk into the single measuring cup he owns and is interrupted by, "You should probably do the dry ingredients first, so it doesn't get stuck to the cup." Goro sets the milk down.

He cuts open the bag of mix to pour into the cup and it comes rushing out in a puff of dust. Some makes it into the cup, but it fills up lopsided and spills onto the counter. "You might want to do that over the sink," Ren suggests.

An increasingly frustrated Goro does as he says. He adds the mix, the milk, and the oil. Egg, it needs an egg. _Oh god, it needs an egg. How have you been alive for over two decades and you've never once cracked an egg?_

He hesitates, staring at it in his hand for a moment. Why is Ren watching so intently?

Goro has seen them do it on television and videos before, surely it can't be hard. The opposite of hard. If shells get in, he can just fish the pieces out. No problem. Easy does it.

He taps it on the counter far too lightly for it to even start cracking. God, it's like the first time he tried to puncture one of those bubble tea seals. He taps it again a little harder. It's cracked… maybe. Is he supposed to just pull it apart?

_Third time's the charm._ He smacks it again on the counter and the yolk breaks free of the egg, oozing over the surface. His hand is hovering over it in horror as Ren starts laughing so hard he has to cover his mouth.

Goro feels his face flush. "You know what? How about _you_ do it." He agitatedly takes a step back from the counter and goes to rinse his hand off.

Ren is pressing his lips together hard trying to stop laughing. He takes another egg from the pack and in a fluid motion, taps it on the counter and breaks it over the bowl with one hand— _like some fucking showoff._

They clean up the mess on the counter. Ren takes the mixing bowl into his grip and starts whisking everything together. "Have you never done this before?" he wonders, amused.

Goro folds his arms, averting his eyes. "Not really."

"I don't mind teaching." Akechi pouts in response and Ren smiles to himself.

"The first pancake always comes out weird, it's kind of a rule." A smidge of batter is poured into the sprayed pan. Goro is watching him despite his clear irritation with the whole experience.

"When you see it start to bubble and the edges raise up some, then you can flip it onto the other side." He shows the quick flipping motion, then he adds, teasingly, "Not too perilous."

The first one doesn't cook quite evenly like Ren mentioned. Once a few minutes passes he checks the underside and discards it onto a plate. He pours more batter in after spraying the pan again, making a pretty circle in the center.

"You try," Ren says.

Goro sighs and accepts the spatula, stepping in front of the stove. The pan is sizzling now. The pancake is cooking quicker than the one before it and he's leaning his head around it trying to determine the timing. "Now?"

"Mmhm."

He goes to put the spatula under the edge and hesitates, drawing back. "I'm going to flip it out of the pan or something."

Ren laughs. "Let me help."

Goro feels a hand wrap around his on the utensil and another one gently resting on his waist. If the heat was dissipating from his face, it's back now with a vengeance. _He's just demonstrating. It's a… nice thing to do._

"This might be harder with my left hand," Ren cautions. He guides their hands to lift the pancake completely onto the spatula and quickly turns it over—a little clumsily—onto the other side. It lands safely within the perimeter of the pan and that's success in this book.

Ren presses his cheek against the other's shoulder. "Look, you're a natural."

Goro isn't sure when he started smiling.

They continue cooking through the batter until they have a fine set of pancakes in front of them. (One accidentally burned, but that's because the pair were too distracted by their chit chat to notice. That one got excluded from the final result). This meal is taken at the table because Goro isn't about to deal with maple syrup on his couch.

After eating and cleaning up, Goro takes initiative on how they'll spend the early evening. The sky is starting to take on that pretty tone that alerts him that the sun is going down.

"There's a record I've been meaning to listen to, if you'd like to hear it," Goro suggests.

"I'd love to."

In the increasingly pink light coming through the windows, the apartment glows softly. Goro delicately removes the record from its sleeve and places it on the record player located on his wardrobe. He moves the stylus into place. A calming jazz song starts playing.

Goro climbs into the bed and lies on his side, gesturing that it's okay for Ren to join him. He closes his eyes to listen more carefully to the notes. He might also be resting off the beginnings of a food coma, but he's relaxed more than anything.

At some point during the day, he stopped worrying about how to usher Ren out of his apartment and started enjoying the company. Ren wasn't hard to be around, after all. He carried with him a sense of calm and genuineness that made others feel at ease. He was respectful when he needed to be and playful at all other times. His quietness could be elusive, but Goro knew something was always working under the surface.

It's not until several mellow songs into the record that Goro is aware of a familiar touch. Ren's hand is stroking his arm, fingers making slow ovals on the fabric of his shirt. He keeps his eyes closed and tries not to react, because it's not a big deal. _Ren is just a touchy person, that's okay. It doesn't mean anything._

With every pass of his hand around the shape, the motion moves up until it reaches his shoulder. He circles the spot a few times, then carefully brushes Goro's hair away from his neck. That shivery feeling is present in Goro's back again.

Ren's fingers slide under the collar of his shirt to his shoulder, switching to a massaging motion. Goro's heart is beating so loud in his chest, it's comparable in volume to the music. _Doesn't mean anything._

It feels nice as Ren's hand works along the muscle, dipping toward his back to pull at the skin. Then his thumb tentatively runs once up the side of Goro's neck and back down. And then the rest of his fingers follow in the rhythm. Goro can't help his lips parting to let out small, shaky breaths. _Doesn't… mean anything._

His thumb moves individually further along Goro's neck, encompassing a greater width into the movement. Goro tilts his head a little to let him. The tips of Ren's fingers graze along his jawline and Goro thinks he might be shaking.

Ren's hand massages once more upward and rests, his thumb dragging along the underside of Goro's face and bending to fit against the curve of his chin. He lifts Goro's head upward and presses his mouth against the lips so eagerly parted for him.

Goro's eyes flutter open in astonishment to see Ren's closed, so he copies. The hand slides along his face to grip at his neck and caress his cheek, sending another shudder through his body.

Ren's hand doesn't remain there long, going further back to tangle it in soft hair. He holds Goro's head in place to deepen the kiss, but he wants more of him. He licks at Goro's lips, who opens them to allow Ren's tongue to slide into his mouth.

To the tune of soothing jazz, they're feverishly pawing at each other on the bed. Hands are gripping at hips and faces and hair. Legs are intertwining. The room is getting heavier.

Ren removes his glasses, then rolls Goro onto his back, moving to straddle his thighs. He keeps kissing him, his hands hesitantly waiting at the hem of Goro's shirt. Goro senses the touch and grabs his wrists to push them up under the fabric. Ren readily slides his hands up Goro's sides, enraptured by how warm his skin is. When Ren hovers further over him, Goro returns the act.

They lustfully continue grinding their bodies against each other through a myriad of songs. How long has it been? 20 minutes, 40, an hour? Who knows? Time isn't real and Goro lost count of the record a long time ago.

It comes to a natural break once both of them are desperate to breathe. When Goro finally opens his eyes again, the room is colored in pale shades of purple and blue. No lights are turned on, so the shadows play along the corners of the walls. And even in the low light, Goro can still make out the blush dusting Ren's cheeks as he hangs overhead.

"Is this what you do at sleepovers?" Goro asks in between panting.

Ren raises his eyebrows then smiles widely. "Only at ours."

Goro smiles in return and wraps his arms around Ren's neck to pull him back down.

* * *

The record comes to a stop while they're lying next to each other, with Ren's head on Goro's chest and Goro caressing the arm wrapped around him. Fully dark now, just like when they went to sleep yesterday.

He finds it funny how the dynamic of relationships can change in such a short time. Then he considers that, perhaps, he's the one who has been truly bad at picking up hints. Maybe this outcome was months in the making.

Goro is contemplating all the signs he must have read wrong and then pushes it from his mind because, really, this moment is too nice to ruin with overthinking. He likes the way it feels to be wrapped in Ren's embrace and how his skin feels under his fingertips. There's the gentle sound of his breathing, the heat of his body, and the consciousness of his own heartbeat, all while being entirely at ease. It's quiet and tender, not something he is used to. If he could live in an emotion, this would be it.

After a while, Ren stirs and mumbles against Goro's chest, "I have to get home to feed Morgana." Ren lightly presses a kiss to his cheek. "Thanks for having me."

Goro watches from the bed, his heart so pleasantly full, as Ren collects his few belongings from around the apartment. He then opens the window to climb back out onto the fire escape, with Goro shifting to send him off with another kiss. Ren takes a spot on the ladder.

"Come again soon."

"Of course." Ren smiles at him one last time before disappearing out of view.

Goro rests his head in his palm on the windowsill and closes his eyes. He listens willingly to each noise on the metal as Ren descends, and the eventual thud when he drops to the ground—noises that would've been a nuisance if they belonged to anybody else. He stirs in the feeling for a moment of the outside air, the gentle patter of fading footsteps, and the warmth that radiates in his chest, before closing the window in contented remembrance.

_Don't worry, it's always open for you._

**Author's Note:**

> The card game they play is directly based off Slay the Spire (it's a good game, check it out).


End file.
